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Cannot install any Linux dist. on my motherboard

I am trying to re-install Linux on my motherboard, following a corruption of the installed dist (Ubuntu 12.04) about 6 months ago. No matter which Linux distribution i use (Ubuntu, Mint, Debian, OpenSUSE, Fedora...) the installation hangs, usually with a blank screen or at least a corrupted one.

Windows XP and Win/7 install trouble free on the hardware (which is currently dual boot).

I assume this is because there is some aspect of the motherboard/BIOS implementation in combination with the graphics card which is not to an industry standard, as the Linux installation process understands it. I further assume that Windows, with its lax standards, doesn't care about the 'out of standard' situation.

Based on this assumption I have been trying to see what kernel parameters that I can apply, through the Grub screen at boot time, but with no success. For example adding "apic=off" causes a different install fail to setting "apic=force".

However I've sort of run out of ideas of what parameters to try. Could I have some advice please.

Thanks. That's one of the best results I have had so far - it took at least a couple of minutes to hang with this combination of parameters, ending up with a perfectly legible trace output - but no option to install Mint.

I am trying to re-install Linux on my motherboard, following a corruption of the installed dist (Ubuntu 12.04) about 6 months ago. No matter which Linux distribution i use (Ubuntu, Mint, Debian, OpenSUSE, Fedora...) the installation hangs, usually with a blank screen or at least a corrupted one.

First, check in the bios if everything is enabled. This might help.

Once that check has been done, and everything had been turned on/not broken, check to be sure that your material is all supported.

If those checks are okay, you might be able to re-install your Ubuntu 12.04 and upgrade/update from.

In the case you are still not able to install your Ubuntu 12.04, check the integrity of your hd(s) with e2fsck -c <DEVICE>. Run it twice if the first check returned out some errors. (The first run to find the errors and the second to correct them).

It is possible that you got a kernel corruption or something. In that case, check in the /boot directory, there is a kernel-<VERSION>.img.bak that is a backup of your kernel. Edit your kernel's entry in /boot/grub/menu.lst and add a .bak after the kernel's name. Save and reboot. Why editing the menu.lst instead of overwritting the kernel that is in place ? First you would have to backup the original kernel file (.img), second replace it by the renamed backed up kernel (.bak), and then reboot to realize that it's not a kernel's problem, so you will want to restore the original kernel back (the first .img) back, and your (.bak) to be the backup again. See my point ?

Originally Posted by Asquared

I assume this is because there is some aspect of the motherboard/BIOS implementation in combination with the graphics card which is not to an industry standard, as the Linux installation process understands it. I further assume that Windows, with its lax standards, doesn't care about the 'out of standard' situation.

The above means that you have never been able to install Ubuntu 12.04, except if since you did hardware changes ?

Originally Posted by Asquared

Based on this assumption I have been trying to see what kernel parameters that I can apply, through the Grub screen at boot time, but with no success. For example adding "apic=off" causes a different install fail to setting "apic=force".

Have you tried to run in single-user mode ? That mode is intended to be first run by an administrator. It asks you first for that password, once logged on as root, correct the problem(s), logout, and the startup process will go back to the default runlevel of your distro (2 for debian, as Ubuntu is a child of, this might be 2 too) and continues the booting process up to the login screen. If you don't have any grub option that allows you to choose a single-mode option, then try telinit 1

Since you say that you are trying to re-install, I doubt if any of the "check the kernel" stuff is relevant at this stage.

I use the kernel option "nomodeset" with older nvidia graphic cards. I have also had to use "nopat" with older hardware. Not all older stuff but notably an old acer laptop. apic=off and noacpi have also been used but again, on older hardware.

Can you boot from a live CD? That might help you ascertain what the problems may be.

Since you say that you are trying to re-install, I doubt if any of the "check the kernel" stuff is relevant at this stage.

I use the kernel option "nomodeset" with older nvidia graphic cards. I have also had to use "nopat" with older hardware. Not all older stuff but notably an old acer laptop. apic=off and noacpi have also been used but again, on older hardware.

Can you boot from a live CD? That might help you ascertain what the problems may be.

Using 'nomodeset' doesn't get me very far. The 'best' paraemter so far is 'xforcevesa'. By 'best' I mean that the installation media is read for the longest time before a hang occurs.

I have tried using the Knoppix-based RunTimeLive CD without success - close but no cigar. I got to the GUI screen, showing all the RunTimeLive modules/applications once, but the system hung within a few seconds. The failure condition is never the same twice with RunTimeLIve - that is it fails/hangs in a different way each time I try it - even when following the advice to enter the parameters "Knoppix xmodule=vesa"

Using 'nomodeset' doesn't get me very far. that is it fails/hangs in a different way each time I try it - even when following the advice to enter the parameters "Knoppix xmodule=vesa"

What about xmodule=nv ?? Or you can try noagp, to skip the auto-detection of agp cards. Or you may want to boot Knoppix from the ram, in which case you have to specify toram. There is also the failsafe option, in which there is (mostly) no detection of hardware.

I suggest you to install it in the ram (toram) then edit your X config file as follows :

First thing you need to do is dump XP, support for it is up in April of 2014 anyway so it'll be a virus writers dream so get rid of it while you can.
Second, the op system doesn't go on the mother board, it installs onto the hard drive. Make up a "Live" USB using UNetbootin of the Distro you want to install and see if you can boot to it Live. If you can then it's just a matter of getting your interweb connected then you can click the "Install" button and you should be good to go from there. If it was working once you should be able to get it working again.
Like I said, dump XP, Defrag Win 7 so everything on your hard drive is nice, clean and compact then boot to the Live USB (Ubuntu 12.04 would be fine) and go from there. Good luck.

@TNFrank. As one who has booted and runs linux full time on all his gear. The motherboard chips and kernel are lovers that must mate before the booting
will give you a gui after finishing booting. I have ran into the OP problem on a Emachine motherboard that was real picky on what kernel would get
you to a desktop. Even Puppy and AntiX which will run in ram (not hardrive or pendrive or cd, you can remove them after boot) requires loving
mating between hardware and kernel. I hope you understand me.

I refuse to let fear and fear of others rule my life. It puts my humanity at risk.
Accepting Death is the only way to stay alive.